Can-opener



(No Model.)

J. BIEN. CAN OPENER.

Nb.529,8.49. Patented Nov. 27, 1894.

u. 1 3F 0 g,

m: NORRISVFETERS co, PNOTO-UTMQ. wasnmnfou, a, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH BIEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

- CAN-OPENER SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,849,dated November 27, 1894.

Application filed January 30, 1894. Serial No. 498,507- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BIEN, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State ofOalifornia,have invented an Improvement in Can-Openers and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an apparatus for opening cans.

In consists in certain details of construction which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in

' cutter blade presses against and'is inserted which- Figure 1 is asectional elevation showing my device as applied for opening circularcans. Fig. 2 is atop View of a part of the same. adaptation forrectangular cans. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the upper part of thesame.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus for opening cansby means of a horizontal cut made around the top of the cylindricalportion of the can just below the top.

In carrying out my invention I employ a bed A which is preferably madewith a series of steps B, corresponding to the sizes of the cans, risingfrom the center toward the outside and increasing in diameter from thecenter outwardly, so that cans of any size may be approximately centeredand held in place when set upon the step which approximates to theirdiameter. Upon one side of this base is a vertically slotted sleeve orsocket C.

D is a standard adapted to fit and slide in this sleeve. At the upperend, this standard has attached to it a circular head E, and this headhas downwardly projecting points F which are forced into the head of thecan when the standard slides down in the slotted socket or sleeve untilthis head rests upon a can .head. These points hold the can firmly inplace and preventits being turned around by the operation of the cutter.

G is an arm pivoted to the center of this head, as shown at H, so thatit may be turned about the center. This arm is slotted and a guide I isadapted to slide in the slot. To the lower part of this guide is fixed acutting blade J which extends toward the upper side of the can, as thelatter is held between the base and the cap previously described. Theguide and cutter are moved outward and in- Fig. 3 is a plan View showingits sufficiently to steady and retain it in place.

The cutter is then advanced by pushing the handle through its guideuntil the edge of the into the side of the can just below its top. Thehandle is now moved around its center to which the arm is pivoted, andthe cutter severs the top from the lower portion of the can body, makinga cut entirely'around from the point where the standard connects withthis head to the opposite side, the junction of the standard forming astop. This leaves a small piece of metal which will not be severed, andthis small portion serves as a sort of hinge about which the upper partcan be turned as the can is opened, and it may be again closed aboutthis point, if desired to retain a portion of the contents within thecan. It will be manifest that this apparatus may be secured temporarilyupon the edge of a table or removed by means of a thumb screw andclamped as shown at M, or if it is used in a place where it is to bepermanently fixed, it is secured by screws passing through the peripheryof the base, as shown at M. It will also be understood that the upperplate of the can, with its holding points and revolving cutter-carryingarm, may be used by itself, the operator holding it firmly against thecan head while revolving the cutter.

When the apparatus isto be used for square cans, the head E is maderectangular, as shown in Fig. 3, and has a slot or channel 0 made aroundits periphery. The arm G which is pivoted in the center of the plate isslotted as before described, and the guide I which carries the cutterblade is fitted to slide upon a supplemental bar P. This bar has a pin10 extending upwardly into the slot in the pivoted arm, and down with ananti-frictional roller into the channel Ov aroundthe periphery' of theplate. This construction allows the guide roller or pin to follow therectangular channel by moving outwardly and inwardly upon the line ofthe fulcrum arm G as the latter is moved around the exterior of the can.By means of the handle attached to the guide I the knife is forcedinwardly against the side of the can and follows the side, as thepivoted arm is moved around its center, thus cutting the side of thesquare can with the same facility with which it will cut the cylindricalcan. The spring Q acts to retract the cutter and prevent its remainingin a position where it will extend over the top of the can when thedevice is being put in place for use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a can opener, the combination of a base having a socket at oneside, a standard mounted to slide in said socket having its upper endturned inward and provided with a plate or head adapted to engage thetop of the can, and provided with means for centering and holding thecan, a swiveled arm m0vable about the common center of the can and theholder, and a cutter slidable radially upon said arm and carried therebyso that when the arm is moved around in a circle, the cutter will act tosever the metal of the can side as described.

2. In a can opener, a base having a series of oifsets of varyingdiameters, a socket at one side, a standard slidable vertically in saidsocket having a head or plate supported from its upper end and adaptedto clamp the top of the can and secure it between itself and the base, aradially slotted arm fulorumed to the center of said plate projectingradially therefrom, a sliding guide traveling upon the radially slottedarm having a cutter fixed to the inner end, and a handle by which thecutter is moved and held in contact with the side of the can so as tocut through it when the arm is rotated, substantially as hereindescribed.

3. A device for opening cans consisting of a holder for the can, a topplate having a channel formed around its periphery, an arm fulcrumedcentrally to said plate projecting beyond its periphery andhavingaradial slot formed in it, a second arm having a pin oranti-friction roller projecting upwardly into the slot of said arm anddownwardly to enter the channel around the periphery of the top platewhereby it is caused to follow the said channel when the arm is movedabout its center, and a cutter fixed to a radially sliding guide andcarried by said arm, substantially as herein described.

4. In a can opener, a plate adapted to be fixed in contact with the canhead, an arm pivoted to said plate extending radially outward andserving as a guide to a radially sliding cutter carrier, a handle bywhich the cutter is advanced into contact with the side of the can, anda spring by which it is retracted away from the can, when released, asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH BIEN. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. F. ASOHECK.

